Slow Readers Club set to play sold-out gig in Blackpool during intimate UK tour

The Slow Readers Club are the band you probably have never heard of, and yet they manage to sell out venues like The Apollo and the Ritz in Manchester. And a string of venues from London to Glasgow. So who are they and how have they managed this feat?

The Slow Readers Club rose out of the ashes of a band called Omerta and comprise of brothers Aaron Starkie on vocals and Kurtis Starkie on guitar and backing vocals, with Jim Ryan on bass and David Whitworth on drums.

Frontman Aaron describes them as an "indie electronic band from Manchester" but hopes to entice listeners with a catchy hook that makes them think - "We like writing a good pop melody, so the main thing is getting a tune that will stick in people's heads, making them dance and making them think, hopefully."

The band had humble beginnings, as he explained: "Until recently we had been doing in DIY with self-released records and toured ourselves around the UK, but last year we released our third album, Build a Tower, on Modern Sky. It got to number 18 in the charts and we finished the year with a sold-out show at The Apollo, with 3,500 people, which was good.

"So it's going in the right direction. We were doing everything alongside day jobs until recently, but this year we are going at it full time."

Manchester bands have a tough act to follow since the halcyon Madchester days, with bands like The Stone Roses, James and The Happy Mondays and then later with Oasis, but Aaron and the boys seem to have it under control. He said: "It's quite a big shadow to exist under really.

You won't see The Slow Readers Club in Blackpool (unless you managed to bag tickets) but you might still be able to catch them at other venues

"We love all those bands, don't get me wrong. And they were still getting played in indie clubs when I was going out dancing and stuff. So I grew up listening the The Smiths and people like that.

"From the perspective of the media as well, I think that when they think of Manchester they still think of us all stood with our arms behind our backs with parkas on and stuff like that.

"I think it's tough to get people to have another look at the city and see what's going on now. But there are a lot of bands coming through, on the more poppier side The 1975, Pale Waves, The Blossoms, and Courteeners are very big. There's a lot happening.

"Obviously the bands of yesteryear were so big and nostalgia plays a part for people as well. People like looking back to that stuff as well.

"So yeah, we do feel it is something to get out from under I guess. But it seems to be going okay for us. People seem to be getting on board with us regardless."

And talking about sold out shows... they are playing in Blackpool at the Bootleg Social on Thursday, March 14. Why Blackpool and not Preston? Well that would be down to family connections. But you could try and snag yourself a ticket to one of their shows in Wakefield (March 13), Sheffield (March 16) or you may still be in with a shout for tickets to their homecoming gig at Manchester's intimate Gorilla venue on Thursday, April 11. They are also appearing at the Live at Leeds festival on Saturday, May 4 and the Neighbourhood Weekender in Warrington on Sunday, May 26, where they will be playing alongside Richard Ashcroft and The Charlatans. Tickets for all shows are available from www.theslowreadersclub.co.uk